บททั้งหมดของ The werewolf king is my mate. : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

EMPTYSchool was worse than training.At least training had rules. At least there, getting hit meant you did something wrong, not that someone was bored and needed entertainment.School smelled like disinfectant and wet shoes. Lockers slammed too loudly, footsteps echoed too close, and laughter always seemed to rise the moment I passed by.“Move.”Someone nudged my shoulder as they rushed past me in the hallway. I stumbled, caught myself, and kept walking like nothing happened.That was the trick. Always keep walking.I was late that morning. I remember because my books slipped from my hands as I turned the corner too fast. They hit the floor with an ugly clatter, pages spreading everywhere like they were trying to escape.“Wow.”I looked up before I could stop myself.That was my first mistake.The girl standing over me had perfect hair and that polite smile people use when they want witnesses.“You should really be more careful,” she said. “You fall a lot.”Someone laughed.

SURPRISE DRILLS Daniel waited for me near the front steps of the mansion with his hands tucked into the pockets of his training uniform. He looked relaxed, almost bored, the kind of bored that came from being a warrior who had probably fought real battles while I struggled with basic confidence. His eyes brightened a little when he saw me approach.“There you are,” he said. “The Alpha told me to walk you down to the training grounds. We start with simple drills today.”Simple drills. The words alone made my stomach twist.I forced a smile. “Right. Great. Fantastic. I love simple drills. So simple.”He squinted slightly. “You sound like someone who hates drills.”“No,” I said quickly, “I sound like someone who is… mentally preparing. Preparation is a skill.”q“If you say so.”We started walking. The path toward the warrior grounds was wide and well trampled, stones packed neatly along the edges. Normally it was a comforting sight. Today it felt like a countdown. Each step a

HIS NAME IS ELIO.Daniel and I left the training field when the sun was starting to drop behind the trees. My arms were still buzzing from the last exercise he made me do, which he called conditioning but felt more like wrestling the air until it won.He kept glancing at me while we walked back toward the pack house path. Not suspicious, not annoyed, just checking if I was about to faint or something. I kept my steps steady. My breathing even. My face neutral. I had perfected that expression years ago. A calm mask that never cracked, not even when my stomach twisted or my pulse climbed.“You kept up better than I expected,” Daniel said as he pushed a branch out of my way.“Oh,” I replied, pretending that was a normal sentence. “Thanks.”“You learn fast.”“Training helps,” I said quietly. “Or so people say.”He frowned like he wanted to ask something but changed his mind. Instead he pointed toward the small stream that cut through the back of the territory. “Let’s soak your hand

SHUTTING DOWN The training field looked the same as it had the first day, wide, open, ringed by trees, packed dirt underfoot, weapons resting on wooden racks like they were waiting for volunteers.Nothing about it had changed.Or maybe I had not changed at all, and that was going to be a problem.Daniel walked beside me, not too close, not too far. He had learned that distance over the past few days. Close enough to escort me, far enough not to feel like he was hovering.“You’re quiet today,” he said.“I’m always quiet.He glanced at me sideways. “You talk.”“Only when necessary.”He smiled a little. “You know, warriors talk too.”“That explains a lot about you.”That earned a short laugh, which I appreciated more than I let on. It made the walk easier,like I was walking lightly.The field was already active when we arrived. Pairs sparring. Someone shouting instructions. The sound of bodies hitting the ground, not violently, but with intent.My chest tightened.I did not

IS THAT DAMIEN?I do not leave my room, not even when the sun rises and spills light through the curtains. Not when the house shifts with morning sounds. Not when footsteps pass my door again and again.I stay exactly where I am.The floor is cold beneath me, but I do not move to the bed. Moving would mean choosing something, and I am very tired of everything. I want to fade into the abyss. I miss my parents. And bella. No-one would talk about her, my days have been monotone with Daniel and Elio being the constant in my life.Elio has tried to get me out of my room but I feel like he’s forcing a sibling relationship which is not yet there.A knock at the door sounds softly.“Emily?” Grandma’s voice floats through the door. “Breakfast is ready.”I say nothing.Silence stretches.Then another knock, slightly firmer this time. “You do not have to come down. I can bring it to you.”I press my forehead against my knees and stare at the expensive marbling.I am not hungry. Or maybe I